Last year I made a decision to
buy an exciting bike before I became
too old for it. My brief was something like this - a powerful four stroke
engine, twin cradle chassis, a one-down & four-up gear shift, disc brakes,
comfortable seat and a good suspension set up. Needless to add it had to be
reliable. My Pulsar exceeded these parameters. For example - the electric start
which I didn’t ask for. Or the captivating looks with the "black-everywhere"
theme. It is sometimes embarrassing when people stare at my bike!
I brought home my new wine red Pulsar180 DTS-i in April’06. Now after twenty
months and 7500 kms, it still looks new and inviting. I’m one of those lucky
guys who don’t need to commute too far for work. Most of my trips were on roads
with a thin traffic. The P180 rides like hot knife on butter on these roads. The
max speed I’ve touched is 90 kph, though I usually ride sedately at 70. The gas
shocks provide a decent ride. I would vouch for it because I have a back
problem to be taken care of.
My bike fires at the first try
every time, even early mornings(20’C) or even if I had not started it for
a week. I consistently get 46 kms per litre which is good for a 180cc bike. It
has cost me nothing on maintenance except for the periodical service and oil change
which I religiously adhere to.
But I admit it is tough to ride
in dense traffic ‘cos you need to downshift often due to its high speed engine.
And the quality of gearshift is also not very helpful. The handle bar is a trifle
too low for me(I’m 5’9) and I end up sitting in a crouched position like a
racer. The most irritating thing I find in this bike is its erratic “side stand
on" warning system which suddenly glows even when the stand is in “of”
position. I went to the dealer point to rectify this problem again and again
and again and again. and finally gave up. See, it has a mind of its own.
All said and done, it is not a
bike to be used in bumper to bumper traffic. It rather suits the intercity
commuter, who needs a reliable, fast bike and is, of course, on the look out
for some exclusivity.